Improvement in pruning-shears



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JOSEPH SILL, or MONTOURSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, 'ASSIGNOR TO DRAKE,

SILL, AND HUTSON, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 72,923, dated December 31, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN PBUNING-SHEARS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SILL, of Montoursville, in the county of Lycoming, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pruning-Shears and Hedge-Trimmers;, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,and in which-.-

Figural is a side -Iiew of my invention. v

Figure 2 is an edge view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

In this invention, one jaw is provided with a socket, which fits to the rod to be cut, and enables the knife to pass through the wood at an acute angle with its grain, thereby greatly facilitating the cutting of stout shrubbery. I

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it in detail. 7 i

In the drawings, A A represent the handles of my improved instrument, attached together by the rivet a. B is the jaw, connected with the handle A, and is provided with a socket, B, made of suitable size to receive. and firmly hold the trunk of the tree orlimb which it is desired to amputate. Its walls are inclined at an acute angle with the knife G, a bevelled blade, with curved edge, attached to the other jaw of the shears, and when fitted closely against the trunk to be out, bring the knife 0 to bear upon itat an acute angle with the grain of the wood. The socket B may be a simple gain in the wooden jaw, of the proper dimensions, shape, and position, or it may be made in a separate plate, as shown the drawings, and attached to the jaw. The knife may be attached to the opposite jaw in any suitable manner. Its edge should be made fiat on the side next to the socket-jaw, and bevelledinward on the opposite side, so as to out against the sharp edge of the socket, in the manner of a pair of scissors.

The great advantage to be derived from an instrument of this construction lies in this, that it always brings the knife against the wood at an acute angle with the grain of the wood, in which position it requires an exp end iture of at least fifty per cent. less power to sever the limb or trunk of a green shrub than if the knife entered the wood perpendioular'to its grain; Theold-fashioned pruning-shears could not be brought to bear upon the wood in this manner without the wood being forced between the blades, so as to twist them apart, without cutting off the shoot er limb. My pruning-shears have been thoroughly tested, and it is found easy with them to sever a green shrub or limb two inches in diameter, while they are no less adapted to pruning the tendere'st shoots. They require no adjustment, and are simple, cheap, and durable in construction, and operated with the utmost ease.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The inclined socket B, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. Iclaimhthe instrument above described, having the socket B, and the curved and bevelled blade 0- operating in combination with it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

To the above specification of myimprovemena-I have signed my hand, this day of 1867.

JOSEPH SILL.

Witnesses:

Gaonen W. Gnocxnn, F. G. WARNER. 

